NATIONAL HARBOR, Maryland -- There may be winds of change blowing through Washington, D.C., these days, but the city offered up a gentle climate for Division III delegates to the NCAA Convention, as they breezed through this year’s legislative agenda.

Delegates needed only about an hour to dispose of 12 legislative proposals in Saturday’s Division III business session – aided by the withdrawal of two proposals.

Only one of seven proposals adopted by roll-call vote by the membership passed with fewer than 400 “yes” votes, and delegates rejected only one proposal –the only measure that generated real debate.

That proposal sought to establish a uniform start date (August 15) for preseason practice in fall sports other than football – a move that would have given schools the option to begin practice a handful of days earlier in most years.

The New Jersey Athletic Conference and City University of New York Athletic Conference sought to persuade delegates that the proposal would provide administrative relief by scrapping the current practice of counting days before the first contest – a requirement that NJAC Commissioner Terry Small humorously said had him counting “1-1-1, 2-2-2” in his sleep and dreaming of a knock on the door from an NCAA enforcement staff member resulting from a counting mistake.

But the sponsors also argued student-athlete well-being considerations, with CUNYAC Commissioner Zac Ivkovic arguing that giving sports such as soccer adequate time during the warm weather of August to safely prepare for competition trumps concerns that an earlier start date would only benefit schools able to financially support additional practice days.

Opposing the proposal, the Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee challenged the well-being claim, with SAAC chair Chrissy Lewis of Vassar responding that the earlier date likely would encourage coaches to conduct even more warm-weather practices than they currently do. The SAAC also said the earlier date could cut short student-athletes’ summer opportunities for employment, study abroad or internships.

Delegates sided with the SAAC, rejecting the proposal, 297-154 with six abstentions.

The only proposal that failed to draw at least 400 supportive votes was a Division III Presidents Council-sponsored measure to establish October 15 as the start date for ice hockey practice and competition. The proposal still passed easily, 225-54, as nearly half of Division III schools abstained because they do not sponsor the sport.

Sponsors withdrew two proposals, including one to exempt conference postseason championship tournaments from the requirement to give student-athletes one day a week off from athletically related activities.

The Capital Athletic Conference withdrew its proposal to permit institutions to view NCAA data throughout a season related to criteria for ranking and selecting teams for a championship. But in doing so, an athletics director from a CAC school, Mary Washington’s Ed Hegmann, asked the Division III Championship Committee to work with the membership in “brainstorming” ways of monitoring the accuracy of data and helping coaches better understand the selection process.

In other actions, delegates dealt decisively with a contentious topic from past Conventions by easily passing a proposal to require head coaches to be certified in first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). The membership, relieved of past concerns about whether they would be required to purchase AEDs or ensure the presence of certified personnel at all practices, approved the measure, 420-33 with six abstentions.

Division III also approved voluntary individually designed workout programs for student-athletes, an opportunity in six sports to participate in one date of competition during the nontraditional segment without losing a season of participation, and proposals addressing tryout exceptions that aid schools’ ability to host activities involving prospective student-athletes.

Following recommendations from the Presidents Council, delegates also eliminated four sports from the division’s list of emerging sports for women (following withdrawal of a section of that proposal to add equestrian to the list), and asked the Division III Management Council to lead a study of the end date for both the fall and spring nontraditional segments.

Upon adjournment, delegates applauded the service of outgoing two-term Presidents Council chair John Fry. “No one, no one, has invested more time and effort on our behalf,” said his successor, Paul Trible of Christopher Newport, who told Fry “our deliberations and actions have been enriched by your wise counsel.”

The membership also bade farewell to outgoing Management Council chair Del Malloy, recently named commissioner of the New England Collegiate Conference, who his successor, Lynn Oberbillig of Smith, credited with easing tensions that arose during last year’s restructuring discussion and with making student-athletes his “first priority.”

For the full Division III voting results, click here.